Over-the-counter painkillers can cause addiction in three days

Popular painkillers taken by millions of people can cause addiction in just
three days, the Government’s drug watchdog has warned.

Advertising will no longer state that the drugs are remedies for things like coughs and colds and only that they are acute and moderate painPhoto: PAUL GROVER

Kate Devlin, Health Correspondent

10:30PM BST 03 Sep 2009

The drugs, which contain codeine and include brand names such as Nurofen Plus and Solpadeine Plus, are sold over the counter and are routinely used to ease headaches, back problems and period pain.

But official figures show that tens of thousands of people have become dependent on the drugs, many accidentally, with women most at risk of developing an addiction.

Following growing concern about the spread of what experts describe as a "hidden addiction", the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has announced a series of measures to counter the problem.

Warning that addiction can begin after just three days, the watchdog said that from next year all packets of the painkillers would carry a prominent warning label which will read: “Can cause addiction. For three days use only”.

The pills will also only be available as a maximum of 32 pills per packet, instead of in packets of up to 100, and warnings will also be repeated on leaflets inside of packets.

Advertising will no longer state that the drugs are remedies for things like coughs and colds and only that they are acute and moderate pain.

However, larger packets will still be available on prescription.

The move comes after MPs in an All Party Parliamentary Group on Drug Misuse report warned of the danger of the drugs, saying the 32,000 addicted was just the “tip of the iceberg”.

Because the painkillers are available without a prescription experts say they are particularly easy to abuse. They all contain codeine, an opiate which is related to heroin and morphine.

Some people take up to 70 pills a day, putting them at risk of seriously damaging their health with complications such as bleeding stomach, liver problems, gallstones and depression.

However, this addiction often goes unnoticed as taking painkillers for headaches and period pain on a monthly basis is socially acceptable.

Doctors are often unaware of the problem and addicts are often too embarrassed to seek help or struggle to get the support they need.

Dr Brian Iddon, who was chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Drug Misuse when the report was published, said: “We are really pleased that the MHRA are now sitting up and taking notice.

“It is the hidden addiction, but it is affecting many, many more people than we think.”

He warned that many people became addicted by accident. “A sort of tolerance arises and you have to take more of the drugs to get the same effect.

“This is an addiction that is as bad as heroin and people can end of taking large amounts of these drugs every day because they are addicts.”

Around 27 million over-the-counter pills containing codeine are sold every year in a painkiller market worth £500 million. The internet has made it easier to bulk buy supplies.

The comedian Mel Smith, has previously spoken of how he became addicted to Nurofen Plus when battling gout. He said he was taking up to 50 tablets a day, eight times the recommended dose.

His dependence on the drugs caused his stomach ulcers and he had to be treated in accident and emergency.

Although essentially voluntary, the measures have been accepted by the industry, the MHRA said.

Dr June Raine, from the agency, said that taken correctly painkillers containing codeine were largely very effective and safe.

“However, these products can be addictive and we are taking action to tackle this risk,” she said.

“The MHRA is ensuring that people have clear information on codeine containing medicines on what they are to be used for and how to minimise the risk of addiction.

“Anyone who has concerns should speak to their pharmacist or a doctor.”

Sheila Kelly, chief executive of the Proprietary Association of Great Britain (PAGB), the industry body, said: “Safety is of paramount concern to the industry and manufacturers are fully supportive of this new package of measures for over-the-counter products containing codeine.”

All members of the organisation have agreed to the new rules, she added.

The National Pharmacy Association, the trade body for pharmacies, said that the move should increase awareness among the public, many who may be unaware that the over the counter pills can be addictive.

John Turk, chief executive of the NPA, said: “The warning ‘can cause addiction’, which will be displayed on the front of packs, should prompt consumers to talk to their pharmacist about what course of action would be most suitable for them and to heed advice given by pharmacists and their staff about how these medicines can be used safely.”